Optic neuritis secondary to herpes zoster ophthalmicus

Optic neuritis (ON) secondary to herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) is a rare complication. Here, we report a case of a young female with no prior comorbidities who developed ON secondary to HZO. She had a 4-day history of acute onset of pain in the right eye along with skin manifestations. Ophthalmic examination revealed keratic precipitates, multiple dendritic lesions with stromal keratitis, and fundus examination showed temporal disc pallor. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed intraconal, intracanalicular part of the right optic nerve sheath complex thickening with surrounding fat stranding and homogenous enhancement on post-contrast administration. The patient was treated with intravenous steroids and antivirals and showed gradual improvement in vision.